what to do when you call for lawyer consultation

At the initial consultation the attorney will generally ask you to give him or her a brief description of what you need help with. At this point, the attorney is not looking for the whole story, but a brief summary. He or she will then ask you a series of targeted questions in order to determine:

Full Answer

How do I get a consultation with a lawyer?

Commonly, you will first have a short phone call with the lawyer, who will then ask to meet you in person. If you aren't yet certain you plan to use this lawyer, be sure to ask about whether he or she charges for this initial consultation. Some lawyers do free first consultations, others may charge several hundred dollars.

What should I do if my lawyer is not clearly spelled out?

If it's not clearly spelled out in your representation agreement, ask the lawyer how he or she would prefer to communicate with you (email, telephone, or some other method), and then keep in contact regularly. The lawyer may give you advice on how to proceed.

What is the purpose of a free consultation with an attorney?

The purpose of a free consultation is not to obtain specific legal advice in the consultation, but rather to allow you to determine whether you would like to hire the attorney and to allow the attorney to determine whether he or she can help you achieve your legal goals. What Happens During an Initial Consultation with an Attorney?

How do I pay for my consultation?

If you plan to pay for the initial consultation with cash, go to a bank or ATM and withdraw the money the day before your appointment, if possible. Otherwise, do not forget your checkbook, debit card, or credit card.

What do you say when you call a lawyer?

0:261:20What To Say When You Call An Attorney - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipKnow kind of ballpark. Terms where you're coming from. And then you can elaborate on your specific.MoreKnow kind of ballpark. Terms where you're coming from. And then you can elaborate on your specific. Situation. And when you keep it simple in the beginning it really does make it easier.

How do you prepare to talk to a lawyer?

Tips for Talking to an AttorneyAlways be as honest and candid as possible about the facts of your case. ... Ask questions if you don't understand something that your attorney mentions or explains to you.Approach an attorney about your case as soon as you think you may need one.More items...•

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Five things not to say to a lawyer (if you want them to take you..."The Judge is biased against me" Is it possible that the Judge is "biased" against you? ... "Everyone is out to get me" ... "It's the principle that counts" ... "I don't have the money to pay you" ... Waiting until after the fact.

What you should know before you talk to a lawyer?

10 Things You Should Know Before Contacting a LawyerHave Your Documents Ready. ... Research the Elements of Your Case. ... Don't Call if You Just Have a Question. ... You May Not Speak to a Lawyer Right Away. ... Do Not Ask the Legal Support Staff for Advice. ... Don't Provide Too Much Information. ... Answer the Lawyer's Specific Questions.More items...•

What do lawyers do in a consultation?

The consultation is about getting a feel for if the lawyer is the right one for you. The lawyer is also trying to figure out if you will make a good client or if you will be in trouble. A lot of clients come to law firms with issues, and the lawyer wants to make sure the clie3nt doesn't cause drama at the law firm.

How do I prepare for a consultation?

Prepare For Your ConsultationBring all documents. Make copies of all the documents you have collected regarding your case and give these copies to your lawyer.Have notes ready. ... Dress for success. ... Be honest. ... Talk about costs. ... Ask your lawyer questions. ... Understand all documents you sign. ... Keep your own files.More items...

Should you tell your lawyer everything?

It's almost always advisable to tell your lawyer the whole truth about your case, even if you've committed a crime. Giving your lawyer all the facts helps them craft the best defense by raising reasonable doubt. Even when a client admits guilt, there are usually many mitigating circumstances that can come into play.

How do you know a bad lawyer?

Signs of a Bad LawyerBad Communicators. Communication is normal to have questions about your case. ... Not Upfront and Honest About Billing. Your attorney needs to make money, and billing for their services is how they earn a living. ... Not Confident. ... Unprofessional. ... Not Empathetic or Compassionate to Your Needs. ... Disrespectful.

Will a lawyer take a losing case?

If your case isn't winnable, no lawyer will want to waste your time, or the court's time, pursuing legal action. However, if you have a case where the facts and evidence are in question, but the damages you could recover are high, an attorney with extensive experience in cases like yours might take the case.

How do I prepare for my first meeting with a lawyer?

Tips For Meeting With Your Lawyer For the First TimeDress To Impress. ... Be Ready To Give Your Attorney Important Information About Yourself. ... Gather Your Evidence And Have It Ready For Your First Meeting. ... Get Your Facts Straight. ... Plan Something You Can Look Forward To For After Your Meeting.

What are good questions to ask lawyers?

Questions to Ask Your Lawyer During a Consultation1) What kind of experience do you have with similar cases?2) What would be your strategy for my case?3) Are there any alternatives to going to court?4) What are my possible outcomes?5) Who will actually handle my case?6) What is my role in my case?More items...•

Does my lawyer have to do what I say?

An attorney must always do what they say they will in a prompt and timely manner as unreasonable delay may adversely affect the outcome of your case.

What to do if you have no court papers?

Even if you have no court papers yet, you may have on hand or could readily obtain documents that could be helpful.

What is the first meeting between a lawyer and a prospective client?

All attorneys meet with prospective clients in what is called an initial consultation. This is a first meeting between you and the lawyer to help you both decide whether you want to work together in an attorney-client relationship. At this point, you are both checking each other out, and getting information and advice that can help you with your case regardless of whether you hire that lawyer or any other one.

How to share documents with a lawyer?

Make a set of copies of everything that you plan to share with the lawyer. Give the lawyer the copies at the beginning of the initial consultation. Prudent attorneys do not accept original documents, and you do not want to waste precious time or money waiting while the attorney makes copies. So fax the documents to the law office before the meeting.

Why do attorneys keep their information confidential?

Remember, the attorney will keep this information confidential, unless required to share it with a court because it is relevant to the legal matter or with law enforcement for a public-safety reason. You may think the information is too trivial or embarrassing to mention, but it may well be extremely important, so share it.

Can I meet with an attorney alone?

It is usually in your best interest to meet with the attorney alone, even if the other person is paying for the appointment. Your friend (s) or loved one (s) can wait in the lobby. To avoid interruptions, be sure to turn off all cell phones or other electronic devices just before your appointment.

An Initial Consultation with an Attorney

First and foremost, your initial consultation with an attorney is the time when you first meet that person face to face. While you can do an awful lot of research about a lawyer online, nothing is as important as the meeting you’ll have with them for the first time.

Laying Out the Basics in a Lawyer Consultation

Your consultation is also a time for you to lay out the basics of what you need from the lawyer. If you are discussing setting up a business, for example, you’ll talk about the type of business you are setting up, any history you have in that field, and what you’re looking for from an attorney.

A Frank Assessment of What Happens Next

One of the most important things you’ll get during a consultation is a frank assessment of what should happen next. In some cases, the consultation will be the time when a lawyer will tell you that your needs are outside of their area of expertise and when they might refer you to someone else.

Do I Need A Lawyer?

It’s true that not every disagreement or accident case requires a lawyer, but many do. The best way to determine if you could benefit from a lawyer is by evaluating several factors of your case. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of the below, it may be time to get that free consultation on the books:

How Will A Lawyer Help Me?

No matter how much research you’ve done and how well educated you are, the legal system is complicated and makes it extremely difficult for anyone to represent themselves. Because every case is unique, it is essential to have a specialist represent you.

Questions To Ask A Potential Lawyer

Before your first consultation with a personal injury lawyer, have the following questions prepared:

Tips To Prepare You For Meeting With A Lawyer

Have these questions with you before your first consultation with a lawyer. They will help you feel prepared and more confident about hiring an attorney. Let’s now go over a few additional tips to guide you when getting ready for an initial consultation with a lawyer:

How to schedule a free initial consultation?

In many cases, all you have to do to schedule a free initial consultation is to contact an experienced attorney on the phone or by email to discuss your lawsuit. It is also possible to use a firm’s online contact form to arrange a free initial consultation.

What questions should a prospective client ask a lawyer?

The lawyer will also ask the client a number of critical questions about the case, including how the injuries occurred, the types of damages that resulted from the accident, ...

What to do if you have been injured in an accident?

If you have been injured in an accident, it is a good idea to obtain the assistance of an experienced accident attorney who can help you pursue the compensation you need to recover from your injuries. Before retaining a lawyer’s services, however, you will often meet for a free lawyer consultation. Consultations provide accident victims ...

How long does it take for a personal injury case to resolve?

It is a good idea to ask how long it will take for your case to resolve, though similar to predicting compensation awards, it can be tricky to determine how long a case will last. In almost all cases, though, it is not useful to expect that a case will be resolved in a few weeks. Most personal injury cases will take months or even years to resolve.

What to write in a conversation with an attorney?

In the course of your conversation with your attorney, you will surely want to write down notes on any issues or questions that arise. A list of questions. Clients often have a million questions and concerns before a meeting, one or more of which they then forget to ask when sitting face to face with their attorney.

What to bring to a lawyer meeting?

What Should I Bring? 1 A pen and pad of paper or the electronic equivalent! In the course of your conversation with your attorney, you will surely want to write down notes on any issues or questions that arise. 2 A list of questions. Clients often have a million questions and concerns before a meeting, one or more of which they then forget to ask when sitting face to face with their attorney. Write these questions down ahead of time, to make sure you get every query answered while you're sitting there. 3 A check for the initial consultation fee, if your attorney charges one. This should be discussed ahead of the meeting. Nothing gets a lawyer-client relationship off on the wrong foot faster than forgetting to make your first payment. Presenting that fee immediately shows that you're taking the relationship seriously. 4 Any documents relevant to your case. If, for example, you are negotiating a lease and want the lawyer to review it, you should obviously bring a copy of the draft lease. If possible, make multiple copies of each document you give to your lawyer, so that you can take a set back home. (Or you can ask the lawyer's office to make the copies, but you'll likely be charged at premium rates for those.)

What is an initial meeting with an attorney?

An initial meeting with your attorney is important, not just for exchanging information about your case, but also for building rapport and trust. Commonly, you will first have a short phone call with the lawyer, who will then ask to meet you in person. If you aren't yet certain you plan to use this lawyer, ...

What happens if you don't hire a lawyer?

Be honest. Remember that, even if you do not end up hiring the lawyer, everything you tell him or her during your meeting is generally subject to the attorney-client privilege. (The biggest exception to this, not surprisingly, is if you tell your lawyer that you are going to commit a crime, which information the lawyer may be duty-bound ...

Should I get a second opinion before surgery?

Much like getting a second medical opinion before a surgery, it is common to seek advice from two or more lawyers before committing. The attorney-client relationship is important, and you need to feel comfortable with your choice.

Should I hire an attorney at the end of a meeting?

By the end of your meeting, you should leave with a clear understanding of what you've accomplished and what's ahead. Remember, you are under no obligation to hire a particular attorney merely because you had an initial meeting.

Is honesty good for a lawyer?

In most cases, honesty is in your best interest. Lawyers seldom see cases that are cut and dried, with one party completely the "good guy.". It 's much better for the lawyer to know any bad news up front than to be surprised later with revelations you failed to share.

Make Sure You Know What to Ask

It’s always a good idea to know in advance what you intend to ask your lawyer. All of the relevant questions that you need immediate answers to need to be worked out in advance. This way, you won’t be stumbling through the interview blindly, asking every question but the right one.

Bring the Legal Documents Your Lawyer Needs to See

Your next step will be to bring all of the relevant documents that are related to your legal case. Your lawyer will need to review these in order to help you determine if your case is going to be strong enough to bring to court.

Make Sure You Know What to Expect

Your lawyer should be able to bring their knowledge and experience to bear to let you know what to expect from your legal case. For example, if they have expertise in workman’s comp cases, they should be able to let you know what kind of settlement to expect. They should have a rough idea of how long it will take.

What is the purpose of a free consultation?

The purpose of a free consultation is not to obtain specific legal advice in the consultation, but rather to allow you to determine whether you would like to hire the attorney and to allow the attorney to determine whether he or she can help you achieve your legal goals.

Can an attorney give free legal advice?

The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client. Attorneys don’t give legal advice without first being retained ...

Do attorneys give free consultations?

Many attorneys offer both free consultations and paid consultations, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. The key to understanding the difference, is that generally attorneys will not give legal advice without being first hired by the client.

How to prepare for a lawyer consultation?

How do I prepare for a lawyer consultation? In addition to any documents related to your case, it’s important to show up with a list of questions to ask the lawyer during the consultation. It’s also a good idea to consider the answers you expect, or hope, to receive beforehand. With that in mind, here are some good questions to ask a lawyer ...

What is a good follow up question for a lawyer?

Other good follow-up questions include how many of the lawyer’s cases typically get settled out of court and how much experience the attorney has going to trial.

What to ask a lawyer about monetary damages?

If you’re suing for monetary damages, you should ask your lawyer if they can represent you on a contingency basis, which means they get paid only if they win the case on your behalf. If a lawyer does provide the option to work on a contingency basis, ask what percentage of the money they’ll receive at the end of the case.

What do you need to review when filing a claim?

This means you will both need to review as much information as possible about the other. At the very least, the lawyer will ask you for details about the incident at the center of your claim, and review documents related to the incident or aftermath, such as police reports, insurance correspondence, medical appointments, etc.

Should a lawyer be vetting you?

This is an important way for the lawyer to be able to determine whether they have the knowledge, experience, and resources to handle your case. However, the lawyer should not be the only one asking questions. Just as the lawyer is vetting you, you should be vetting the lawyer.

Can a lawyer give you a strategy?

If the lawyer is willing to discuss it, ask not only about what strategies the lawyer is considering, but also about the amount of time they believe each strategy will take. You’ll have to balance the potential benefits with the cost and risk of different strategies, so it’s important to know about them early on.